Preds feast on flat club

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STEVE MACFARLANE -- Calgary Sun

Mar 19, 2006

, Last Updated: 11:57 AM ET

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Highlighted by an incredible lack of discipline and some sloppy play in their own zone, the Calgary Flames suffered one of the worst defeats in the franchise's recent history last night.

Despite scoring four powerplay goals, Calgary was stung for a 9-4 loss -- a game which was pretty much over after 40 minutes.

Flames backup Brian Boucher was shelled with 47 shots as his defence seemed to abandon him.

"We were terrible in front of (Boucher)," Iginla said. "It wasn't even close to the style of game we want to play all the way around. It was a terrible game.

"They outcompeted us," the captain continued. "We battled back. They took it to another level and we didn't.

"We were very sloppy. Our strength is in our own zone and every single one of us was bad in our own zone today."

With the game close in the second period, the Flames' lack of discipline turned the tide ... in the wrong way.

Chris Simon's retaliation run at agitator Darcy Hordichuk late in the middle frame with the Predators up 5-4 gave Paul Kariya a chance to give his team an important two-goal lead.

Stick in hand, Simon pounded Hordichuk's face in front of the benches, earning a match penalty for intent to injure.

Kariya took advantage, scoring his second powerplay goal of the game with 2:38 left in the major to grab a two-goal lead.

An overlapping too-many-men infraction gave the Predators more than a minute of 5-on-3 time. And while the Flames managed to kill off the rest of Simon's major, a long shot from defenceman Kimmo Timonen ricocheted past Brian Boucher with 43 seconds left in the bench minor -- effectively putting the game out of reach at 7-4.

Boucher's road debut for the Flames didn't go as he'd hoped. A couple of deflections and uncovered Predators forwards in close didn't help matters but the backup goaltender didn't look sharp until stopping a pair of breakaway opportunities in the third period.

In his defence, a lot of rubber was sent his way -- with the Preds' 47 shots being the most allowed by Calgary all season.

"The outcome stinks," said Boucher. "Personally, it's embarrassing. That's all I can say.

"I take a lot of responsibility for what happened tonight. A team scores four goals, you should win hockey games. Obviously, I wasn't good enough."

A pair of Predators streaks ended in the first period on the same play. Vokoun's shutout run and the team's 16 straight successful penalty kills were terminated when Dion Phaneuf's point shot got past the Preds goaltender at the 7:57 mark to bring the Flames within one after Nashville grabbed an early 2-0 lead.

With just 8.9 seconds in the frame, Darren McCarty tied it up with the Flames' second powerplay goal of the night.

The Predators struck quickly, scoring just 46 seconds into the game when Steve Sullivan lifted the puck into the open side after a perfect pass from defenceman Dan Hamhuis.

Kariya extended their lead with his first powerplay goal of the night, beating Boucher and Robyn Regehr to a loose puck in front and sliding it in.

Scott Nichol scored his first of the year with a high slapshot to the short side to give Nashville the lead early in the second.